If you are stressed out that Thanksgiving is less than a week away and you have a lot of baking to do, don’t be.

Let me tell you how you can simplify your life and help a great cause.

Every year on the day before Thanksgiving, one of my favorite nonprofits, Women In Need of the Ozarks (WIN), has one of its largest fundraisers at Uncle Bentlys Pub, a Wild Turkey Wednesday Bake Sale.

People from all over the community bake and donate pies, cakes, dinner rolls, even doggie treats, and you can go buy one.

WIN President Paula Mason said last year the bake sale raised $15,000.

Pies and sweets are all prepacked for you at the 15th annual Wild Turkey Wednesday Bake Sale, benefiting Women In Need of the Ozarks.(Photo: WIN)

I often cook for it, but this year I have hurt my sciatic nerve and will not be able to contribute because I can’t stand for long stretches, so I plan to be a customer instead.

Founded in 2003, WIN is a 100 percent volunteer organization, so every dollar you donate goes directly to helping women in this region.

Forget baking this Thanksgiving and pick up a cake or pie from 2-9 p.m., Nov. 21, at Uncle Bentlys Pub. One hundred percent of the money goes to Women In Need of the Ozarks.(Photo: WIN)

WIN helps single, working women who are not receiving any other form of public assistance in a crisis when there is no other means of support.

For example, a woman working a minimum-wage job whose car breaks down may not be able to afford to fix her car, but she needs the vehicle to get to work to keep her job. Women In Need comes in and pays for the repairs. If she were to lose her job, she’d be at risk of becoming homeless. WIN prevents the problem from cascading, and we need more organizations that focus on prevention.

Another example: A woman who has emergency surgery, misses work for a week and can’t pay her utilities that month can apply for one-time assistance.

Here is another reason I love WIN, because every woman who receives assistance must have a job and work 35 hours a week. The motto is “A hand up, not a hand out.”

Volunteers are always needed to bake pies and cakes for the bake sale. If you are interested, drop the sweets off Tuesday or before noon on Wednesday at Uncle Bentlys Pub.(Photo: WIN)

At the bake sale, you will find classics like pecan and pumpkin pies, but also desserts such as German chocolate cake and key lime pie.

“It is all decorated and ready to go. We have them in nice pie plates, platters, cellophane wrapped. We have different stuff for everyone,” Mason says. “Lambert’s is doing rolls. (Springfield Batman) is bringing Batman cookies.”

If you live in the Springfield city limits and order $75 worth of fare, WIN volunteers will deliver it to your door.(Photo: WIN)

If you live within Springfield city limits and order $75 worth of fare, they will deliver it to your door.

“We have a lot of women we have helped that are giving back. This is a good one for them to do because they will bake for us and it doesn’t cost them that much,” says Mason.

So save yourself the trouble and buy something at the bake sale, or if you are able to bake for WIN, spread some holiday cheer and do so. It’s an awesome cause.

Doggie treats(Photo: WIN)

15th annual Wild Turkey Wednesday Bake Sale

The 15th annual Wild Turkey Wednesday Bake Sale is from 2-9 p.m. Nov. 21 at Uncle Bentlys, 4123 S. National Ave. All proceeds benefit Women in Need of the Ozarks.

If you want to bake a dessert, you can drop it off at Uncle Bentlys Pub any time Tuesday or before noon on Wednesday, Nov. 21. You can sign up on Facebook to bake something or request an order. You can order specialty items before Sunday. https://www.facebook.com/WomenInNeedOzarks/

Learn more about the organization on its website: http://womeninneedoftheozarks.org/